Movie Talk: ‘Tales of Halloween’ Review

Written by: Matt Molgaard

2015 just might be “The Year of the Seasonal Horror Film.” Seriously, we’ve already had two absolutely amazing gems in A Christmas Horror Story and the newly released Tales of Halloween. Krampus is still headed our way in December. Knowing the quality of work that Michael Dougherty pumps out, it seems more than likely that Krampus is going to rock. It will no doubt join the ranks of the aforementioned A Christmas Horror Story and Tales of Halloween – two stellar films that helped make 2015 a damn memorable year.

I’m not going to break down each short film in this slick anthology, as I’ll be writing until 2016 if I do that (there are damn near a dozen shorts featured in the picture), but I will say this: There are no duds in Tales of Halloween. There are a couple segments that feel slightly underwhelming, but they’re still stronger works than the vast majority of short films you’ll find on the market. And the truth is, even the underwhelming segments are quite entertaining.

Like Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat and Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban  and Brett Sullivan’s A Christmas Horror Story, this collection of films sees essentially every segment blend into another. While the connections aren’t as pronounced as those offered forth by Trick ‘r Treat or A Christmas Horror Story, there are connections made left and right and a great number of these connector points are damn gratifying.

The one consistent theme – outside of the holiday – is the suburban setting, which feels mighty charming. But it doesn’t feel anywhere near as charming as the abundance of genre cameos. Damn near everyone actively involved in horror these days makes an appearance in the film. So while you watch, keep an eye out for appearances from Adam Green, Pollyanna McIntosh, Tiffany Shepis, Lin Shaye, John Landis, Joe Dante, Adrienne Barbeau, Robert Rusler, Pat Healy, Stuart Gordon, Mick Garris and… well, a whole hell of a lot of others. Even the awesome Barry Bostwick shows up! It’s an insane and awesome, awesome lineup!

The picture is loaded with amazing practical effects, tons of clever story spins and enough nods to classic pictures to please anyone who’s been following the genre for years. Tales of Halloween just has a little bit of everything, and every last bit of it is glorious!

Don’t waste your time, watch this movie immediately. It’s available on VOD right now and it’s worth your time and your money. We’ve got nothing but respect for Axelle Carolyn, Mike Mendez, Shaked Berenson and all the other amazing talents who came together to make this movie possible. Tales of Halloween is one of those flicks that you’re going to purchase without hesitation, we guarantee it.

Rating: 5/5